What bacteria is even in the milk free formula?

[_Nell]

I know formula feed is meant to be added to hot water to kill of the possible main 2 nasties - ecoli and the other japanese sounding one that i can't recall!

But are these associated with the milk? Is there therefore less risk with the prescription milk free formulas?

I'm struggling with the time it takes to sort LO's night feed, what with acding carobel and waiting for that too.
Thinking of making the leap to adding the powder to cold boiled water and not re-heating but just want to understand the level of risk really.

 

[JMB1992]

I was wondering the same thing myself! What i do is have cooled water in a bottle ready then top up from a flask (at night) and then add powder. It only takes a few seconds x

 

[MommyJogger]

Not sure if they're "associated with milk" (E.coli, for instance is associated with many things and certainly is not milk-specific), but here's my understanding from a scientific (though not ff) pov: formula would be considered very nutrient-rich from a bacterial perspective. It contains everything necessary for cellular metabolism: amino acids, sugars, mineral cofactors, etc. This makes it an exceptional environment for bacterial growth. Even though your formula is not milk-based, it still contains all the same ingredients I use in the lab for the purpose of obtaining fast growth of these little nasties. So anything that is sufficient to support the growth of a human would need to be treated the same way you would treat milk-based formula, if I understand correctly.

 

[bubbles123]

Not sure if they're "associated with milk" (E.coli, for instance is associated with many things and certainly is not milk-specific), but here's my understanding from a scientific (though not ff) pov: formula would be considered very nutrient-rich from a bacterial perspective. It contains everything necessary for cellular metabolism: amino acids, sugars, mineral cofactors, etc. This makes it an exceptional environment for bacterial growth. Even though your formula is not milk-based, it still contains all the same ingredients I use in the lab for the purpose of obtaining fast growth of these little nasties. So anything that is sufficient to support the growth of a human would need to be treated the same way you would treat milk-based formula, if I understand correctly.

This ^ Bacteria will love formula of all kinds. If you do decide to make with cold pre boiled water you should feed straight away and not store, that's the safest way after making with hot water.

 

[_Nell]

thanks both, that makes a lot of sense.

So, for a night feed, which would be potentially safer?
1. Cold pre boiled water + powder, served instantly and not heated at all.

2. Boiled water still hot + powder, rapid cooled, then refrigerated for 12 hours, brought to room temp then served.

Which is the lesser of two evils bacteria wise?!

 

[Chezzz]

I do the second one for his bottles. I don't have to add anything though. Jut make them all up in evening. Rapid cool. Into the fridge and heat as required. It's safer than adding powder to cooled water as h bacteria is killed when it mixes with the hot water xx

 

[Skyy82]

So there's potential bacteria in the formula then when you add it to boiled water it gets rid of them, so where does the rapid cooling come in? I was told that rapid cooling was to get rid of the bacteria, but I thought I got rid when it hit hit boiled water? Argghhh! these pesky bacteria are annoying!

 

[Chezzz]

So there's potential bacteria in the formula then when you add it to boiled water it gets rid of them, so where does the rapid cooling come in? I was told that rapid cooling was to get rid of the bacteria, but I thought I got rid when it hit hit boiled water? Argghhh! these pesky bacteria are annoying!

I only rapid cool cos it means I can put them in the fridge sooner. If the washing up is in the washig up bowl because i havent done it then I let them cool on the work top then put in fridge hen they're cold.
If I'm going to bed ill also rapid cool so I don't have to sit around waiting xx

 

[lozzy21]

Have a look at the second page of this link https://www.health.qld.gov.au/foodsafetymatters/documents/21849c.pdf

You need to add the formula to water above 70 to kill the bacteria but it can grow again if there is one molecule left. To stop it growing back you need to get it in the fridge ASAP and the quickest way to do that is to rapid cool

 

[missmayhem]

we are on neocate

we add it to room temp water and it has to be drunk within half an hour or it goes smelly and black spots appear in it